Metallic Braces for Kids & Teens

Healthy teeth are vital for living a comfortable everyday life. Teeth are essential for eating and speaking properly. A person’s smile can also impact their social life no matter what age. Unfortunately, everyone is born with perfect teeth. Some people naturally have teeth that are crooked, misaligned, or have gaps. Teeth like this can negatively affect your smile, speaking and eating, and social life. Patients don’t have to accept having crooked or misaligned teeth. The dentists at KCDH can help transform teeth into a beautiful, straight smile using traditional metallic braces.

When and Why are Braces Necessary?

Braces are an effective method of straightening teeth and fixing minor underbites, crossbites, overbites and/or closing gaps between teeth. However, for young kids with severe abnormal bites, headgear may be prescribed, which alters the growth pattern of the face and jaws.

Traditional Metallic Braces

Metal braces were among the first to be used in dentistry for treating orthodontic problems; standard metal braces are produced with high quality stainless steel alloys, and fixed to the teeth using special adhesive cements. It has specified slots for the archwire to pass through. The archwire is then secured to the brackets with rubber elastics, or “ties”.

Benefits – metal braces give superior control to the orthodontists for shifting and aligning the teeth, compared to other methods. They can be used to treat severe orthodontic cases, which can’t be fixed with other orthodontic options.

Drawbacks – perhaps, the most prominent drawback of metallic braces is their visible metallic appearance. Also they have increased chances of soft tissue damage if the patient has an accident or endures collision or trauma.

Length of Treatment with Braces

How long do braces need to be worn for ideal results? This varies depending on the severity of the patient’s case, and the patient’s age. Braces generally may need to be worn for two to three years. Patients may experience slight discomfort or pain right after getting braces. However, the pain typically subsides in the week first week of orthodontic treatment.

The tension in the arch wire will loosen as the teeth shift into alignment. Therefore, the tension of the archwire is often adjusted often to straighten teeth. Adjustment appointments at the dental office are regularly scheduled.

Limitations of Braces

Some of the limitations of braces include the duration of duration of treatment with them, eating limitations, and the number of visits the patient must attend.

Caring for Braces

It’s important to take care of these things while a patient is receiving treatment with metallic braces:

Proper Oral Hygiene Care – food particles will often stick to the braces or under the archwire, this can cause cavities and gum infection if regular oral hygiene practices not followed. Orthodontists recommend brushing with interdental toothbrushes. The fine bristles on these brushes can clean the hard to reach spaces around the braces, and effectively get rid of plaque and calculus deposits.

Maintaining your Diet – patients with braces should not eat hard and sticky foods while wearing braces, these foods can cause the braces to dislodge.

Using a Mouthguard – for children and adolescents who wear braces, and are active in physical contact sports, wearing a mouthguard is necessary. A mouthguard can prevent painful injury to the oral soft tissues if impact or trauma occurs.

At KCDH dentistry, the skilled dentists provide high quality and affordable orthodontic treatment services to the residents of Brooklyn. We have two locations! One is on Ocean Avenue, nearby the Kings Highway stop on the B and Q Lines. The other is close by Classon Avenue stop on the G Line. Don’t waste time, KCDH can give you the best advice and treatment options for straightening your child’s teeth.